I try to make it a priority to fill my summers with as much free to low cost fun as possible. At this time of the year, between parks, the beach, hiking, and just playing outside, there are so many possibilities for fun and imagination. This past weekend, my family took a trip to go berry picking, and I was reminded about the joy of summer and embracing independence of spirit.

In Oregon, we have a wonderful berry called the marionberry. This is a delicious combination between two types of blackberries. The perfect blend of sweet and tangy. And it only grows in the northwest.

Even though the marionberry is a combination between two types of fruit, it is its own fruit. It takes the best from both worlds and makes something new. We see this in a lot of places- books, movies, fashion, etc... when you find something you love from different genres and combine them together, sometimes you can create something fantastic, something different, and something unique. So take the good, and find new ways to incorporate it in your life. Don't settle for what is being given, make something better. Find that right combination for you, and make it your own. Embrace your individuality.

*** and on a side note- go get some marionberries! They are DELICIOUS!

One of my favorite fantasy elements is fairy dust. Not only for its magical properties, but for what it represents. Fairy dust is a magical device that helps you soar, literally and theoretically. Peter Pan taught us that with a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, you can go anywhere.

They make it sound so simple... can it really be? No, there is one final step, and to me, that is the most important.

Even the most magical of elements still needs positive intention behind it. No matter how much dust you throw on something, you still need that positive energy and action behind it. Think back to that wonderful scene where Peter Pan taught the kids how to fly. The pixie dust did not work until they thought of their happiest thoughts.

This demonstrates what I believe to be true, faith without work, yields little results. There needs to be that FAITH... that underlying belief in something. There needs to be that TRUST... that the promised goal will be achieved. There needs to be that spark of magic... in this case, pixie dust. Most importantly, there needs to be positive thoughts and action behind it. You have to want it to happen, and put effort into its achievement.

It's nice to dream that some magic dust can make things happen, but it is important to remember, that it still takes action. Sprinkle fairy dust into your life... have faith in your wildest dreams, trust that they will happen, and put your positive intentions and work behind it. I think you will be surprised at what happens.

I am so excited to introduce you guys to one of my favorite new authors- Trish Marie Dawson. I have kind of adopted her as my 'I want to be like her' mentor, and I know you will all love her too.

Did you always want to be a writer? Thanks for having me! Hmmm…I’ve wanted to be a writer for years, but didn’t actually decide to work on that goal until December of 2011. In my heart I always felt like I had a story or two (dozen) to tell. :)

What inspires you to write? My kids remind me that I’m doing my ‘dream’ and my daughter, who is nine, is my personal cheerleader. I couldn’t ask for more from them…they’ve been great over the last year.

Do you have a daily writing routine/schedule? Well…lol. I’m working on this. For some stories I do best by writing as it fits with my mood and the finicky Muse. But right now I’m writing the third book of my second series and I want to get it right – so yes, I’ve made up a writing schedule. 10k words a week, broken down into five working days a week, means that I need to write about 2k words a day. This is around my kids’ schedule with homeschooling and meals and play time. I fit my writing in wherever I can, which is usually late morning or early afternoon, and often times in the evenings after the kids go to bed.

You have a couple of different series out there, can you tell us a bit about them? My first series will forever be my baby. The story is told from a woman’s perspective after a rather nasty pandemic wipes out society – including her two children. The adventure follows her as she meets new people and attempts to fit herself into a new life – something hard for a mother to do after the death of her young children. The second series I wrote was an inspirational idea (for myself) about what happens after suicide if Heaven and Hell, the traditional after-life destinations, weren’t options. The young heroine ends up at a place called the Station and in a sense, rediscovers herself and her potential. The books are not about glorifying suicide, in fact, I wrote this story not long after one of my beloved Aunts committed suicide. I know, first-hand, what it is like to lose someone in this way, and I guess I wanted a place to imagine her in. The third book in this series will be out in June of this summer. I’m also planning a few more books in this series that will focus on some of the readers’ favorite characters and their backstories. The Station will never go away. :)What is the current Book(s) you are promoting? Oh gosh, what am I NOT promoting?? LOL Just kidding…well, I did write a short story, just for the fun of it, called The Well Collector. It’s a dark thriller, a murder-type mystery with a fun twist in it. I love the story, and hope readers do too. Since the third Station book is also releasing soon, I’ve been putting that out there. The title is ‘Dying to Return’ and follows the main character, Piper Willow, as she embarks on a new journey in the after-life. There are some surprises for readers in this one. I can’t WAIT for it to hit eReaders all over the world. Can you describe your main character(s) for us? I guess I’ll pick Piper for this one. She died young, caught between a teenager and a young woman. She has much to learn, but is also wise for her age. What I love about Piper is that she seems like a real girl – someone I could be friends with in real life. Though she is a pretty girl, she has never felt worthy of love or adoration – which makes her innocent in a lot of ways. She’s also very conflicted in the next book – constantly stuck at a crossroads, wondering which way is the right path for her to take. I hope that readers can relate to Piper as they would their younger sister, best friend, or daughter. If that happens, then I did my job as the writer. JQuick Fire Questions & FavoritesFavorite Book? Just ONE?! Are you mad?! Okay, okay…The Stand, by Stephen King.Favorite Author? Ha! Stephen King.Favorite Food? Pizza (hangs head in shame).Favorite Sport? I don’t play them. But I’ve grown rather fond of watching Rugby. Favorite Quote? “Get away from her, you bitch!”Favorite Car/Truck? Mustang.Card Game or Board Game? Hate cards. With a passion. So…Carcassonne. Beach or Mountains? OMG. I live in San Diego – in the middle of both. I can’t pick one.Hot or Cold? Cold.Book or Kindle? Book.Shoes or Sandals? Sandals.Walk or Ride? Ride.Early Bird or Night Owl? Neither. I don’t know what I am – I’m best at about 1pm, lol.Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Sure! It’s simple – if you read a book and love it, leave the Author an honest and spoiler-free review online. Those of us that are actively building a fan base really appreciate seeing when strangers enjoy our writing. Each new review is like Christmas. :)Where can people find you? Where CAN’T you find me online? lolBlog - http://writertrishmdawson.wordpress.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/Trish_DawsonFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/WriterTrishMarieDawsonPinterest - http://pinterest.com/trishmdawson/Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6434323.Trish_Marie_DawsonWhere can people buy your books? At this time, all of my books are available on Amazon as eBooks, and some are available on CreateSpace in print. I’m in the process of making the Station Series available in other avenues – so be on the lookout for that! Amazon Author Page - www.amazon.com/author/writertrishmariedawsonThank you so much for joining me today, for my first Talk Tuesday- already a day late. Ha! :)Thank you so much for having me today! - Trish

I find this picture to be a clear representation of me... treading the line between order and chaos. If you haven't noticed yet, sometimes I jump ahead in excitement and throw myself into whatever activity or promotion I am involved in.

This sink or swim approach has served me well for the past few months, but my inner control freak has decided it is time to actually "learn to swim"... or in this case, start focusing and defining what I want this blog to be...

A blog can do so many things... teach, advertise, offer, and entertain, but above all, it should be a reflection of me and my thoughts. Up to this point, my mind has been swimming in a comfortable place of controlled chaos. While that is a normal place for my mind :), it does not always translate over into a cohesive blog... and that is what I strive for-cohesiveness and consistency.

With that in mind, I thought about what I wanted to offer, what my reader would enjoy seeing, and came up with some new goals, and some new focuses I wanted to share with you.

These topics will not always be weekly (being realistic here!), but they will be consistent features on my blog.

It's a fun reminder to myself that things can always be improved, changed, simplified, and adjusted to fit my growth as well. Thanks for hanging in there with me, and I hope you enjoy the changes coming this way.

LUNA SANGUIS BLURB: Paris 1925. A young woman is nearing her Eternal Vampire state as her birthday approaches. She is held captive by the hybrid vampire she created and slowly drained of her pure blood to keep his addiction in check. She outwits him and escapes to a chateau in the hope of reaching maturity. But he follows her unmistakable scent and massacres all that dare protect his supply of Eternal blood. She awakens in a tiny room trapped and defenceless with amnesia, but something deep in her subconscious yearns to be set free by the next full moon – the date of her Eternal Birthday. Her true self, Eternal, emerges in brief flashes of awareness to protect her from the horrors of this terrifying prison. Desperate, she forges an alliance with her true love, a gorgeous young doctor treating her. But her nemesis is out there somewhere, relishing the hunt for her blood – and nothing will stop him from becoming Eternal.

Simon, this next book sounds wonderful! Please, tell us more about yourself and where we can find you.

I live with my wife, Shirlee Anne and our cat, in a pretty coastal town in South Wales, UK. We both love Stephen King and had read many of his books and enjoyed their transition to the screen. Due to our love of books, my wife and I dabbled in writing for some years as a hobby. We were approached by a film company to write a paranormal TV series. We struggled most nights and all through weekends to come up with 22 episodes only for the company to go bust. Then after an accident at work, I was forced into early retirement due to disability. I used my newfound skills as a writer to help with my depression. We decided to use our TV series episodes as templates for film scripts and novels. My writing became more serious as certain A-list actors expressed interest in my scripts and my debut novel Nobody Loves a Bigfoot Like a Bigfoot Babe was accepted by Christopher Matthews Publishing after so many British publishers turned it down.

Are there any more books in the works?Bigfoot Episode 2 – it’s a secret!Luna Aeturnus is the sequel to Luna Sanguis and will be ready for release this Autumn.SS-steppenwolf is a supernatural retelling of WWII involving the Occult Warfare department run by Himmler. Think Indiana Jones searching for a werewolf.Scripts: ‘Flip Side’ is one of my most exciting screenplays to date with its unusual slant on a supernatural gangster story that encompasses music and dynamic dance sequences to portray the action. The script has been optioned by Tasha Bertram of Brodie Films and Stuart St Paul has come on board to direct and co produce this fascinating piece of work. ‘Nightmare Circus’ is a supernatural revenge mystery script set in the Australian outback. ‘Dark House’ is set in Massachusetts, US, where a lonely female artist must overcome her agoraphobia to escape from three kidnappers holed up in a house haunted by a witch finder’s hanging tree. ‘Circus of Blood’ is a horror script set in Rome AD79 where two citizens go on a dangerous quest to kill a brutal serial killer. Their adventures end in Pompeii.‘Hunter’s Moon’ is a contemporary supernatural western script set on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall.The Last Warlord is set during WWII and tells of Major Stewart of MI6 who must find the Nazi’s secret Atlantis base in Antarctica or the entire world will be doomedBefore we go, is there anything special we can share with my readers?Here are a couple of excerpts from my new story. The Evil Count Lucien and Eternal:Lucien approached with his sword, smiling as she backed away in fear. Her eyes widened as he slashed his forearm with the blade and offered his blood to her. “Come on ... this is what you’ve been waiting for.” The effect of his blood was immediate. Even Lucien jumped with shock as she pounced and sucked on the wound with wild abandon. She sighed and moaned as she drank her first human blood. Lucien’s eyes rolled up in their sockets as he felt the tingle of an orgasm. The dark music he had grown to love was so sweet, so mesmerizing, he felt at home. He had finally allowed her to fulfill her birthright and it was wonderful. It was better than sex. Eternal’s True-Love:Edouard was transfixed by her large lustrous eyes of burnt umber. It was a colour that radiated an allure both enticing and at the same time something dark and foreboding. He gasped, as the feeble light cascading from the window caused her eyes to change colour to pitch-black, like a cat as it sensed the kill. Edouard shuddered as she spoke to him without moving her lips – “we are eternal,my true love.” His mind went numb with shock at hearing that word from his dreams. He began to tremble with excitement. “I am for you.” That was all he could say.

The Battle for Princess Madelineby Kirstin Pulioff 156 pages Published May 29, 2013The Kingdom of Soron bustled with activity as preparations for the Fall Festival began. Lively merchants, hardworking farmers, and musicians eagerly awaited this event of harvest and joy. This yearâs festival was even more important, as they celebrated Princess Madelineâs betrothal to her knight champion, Daniel.

Celebration quickly turns to disaster as Prince Paulsen returns with curious demands, either Princess Madeline will be his, or no ones. Rejection turns to obsession and battle is declared.

In a tense struggle to decide her future, Princess Madeline must choose where to put her trustâ¦ in the kingâs tried and true plan, the wizardâs cryptic messages and maps, or her own sense of bravery. Follow Princess Madeline on this adventure as she battles evil in an attempt to create a future of love and magic.

Part of the fun of reading a new book is discovering the characters and imaging them in your mind.This is my dream cast for the Princess Madeline series, and who I envision playing the roles.I hope you agree.

I enjoyed reading the power struggle between Madeline and King Theodore. They are both clever and just when you thought one of them outwitted the other, the other one did something to show they weren't done yet. It was entertaining!

I have a thing for rainbows. The magical colors and sparkles add happiness to my life in an instant. With that in mind, I take care to choose my colors carefully, for the imagery they evoke, the symbolism they encompass, and the characters they portray.

The Escape of Princess Madeline and The Battle for Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioffcreates a beautifully enchanting and delightfully touching story of a princess who quickly goes from being a spoiled girl to an amazing woman.

I guess I love fairy tales especially when there is a head strong and noble princess who wonât let anyone or anything hold her back from doing what she thinks is right. I love her sense of personal integrity and courage which is hard to teach or show kids but this book does it :) Kirstin is a fabulous story teller and bard :)

Continuing the story of Princess Madeline and her royal family, The Battle for Princess Madeline was a short and sweet read. I didn't have the opportunity to read Madeline's first story, but I can absolutely say that this reads as a standalone just fine!

In this novel, we see the twisted side to self-entitlement and greed. Prince Paulsen thinks that he deserves Princess Madeline... We see how a pure and brave Prince turns obsessive because of his quest to claim Madeline as his, and it was sad to watch him turn to the dark side because of his greed. I actually really admired Prince Paulsen in the 1st novel, and it was sad to watch him fall from grace

Pure panic and fear marred the faces of the crowd as King Theodore ordered the gates raised for his villagers to enter.

6/14 â GrandFinaleBlast!

Happy Birthday KirstinonMay 27th!!

Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in North Plains, Oregon, and enjoys being a stay at home mom. When sheâs not writing, she is busy with her kids, church and the family business.

The Kingdom of Soron is known for many things, its rolling landscape, haunting history, fiery sunsets, and its beautiful princess. Princess Madeline woke on her sixteenth birthday to realize that her future had been planned out, a life full of privilege, royalty, and boredom... a life with a husband and knight champion that she did not choose. Using her charm, strength and stubbornness, she defies the King at every turn, determined to keep her freedom on her terms.Freedom quickly turns to disaster as she finds herself seized by a group of wandering bandits. With the kingdom in turmoil over her capture- her Knight Champion eager to prove himself, a group of dedicated suitors determined to win her hand, and a group of exiled wizards join forces in the hunt to rescue her. Follow Princess Madeline in this adventure to find freedom and love.

International Giveaway. Must be 13 to enter. See below Rafflecopter for more details. Available to WIN:

* Autographed set of both: The Escape of Princess Madeline & The Battle for Princess Madeline* Autographed copy of The Escape of Princess Madeline* Autographed copy of The Battle for Princess Madeline* 5 eCopies of The Battle for Princess Madeline* $25 Amazon Gift Card

Come joinSeth Fishman, Literary Agent representingAlex Grecian, our Book of the Month author ofTHE YARD, and the sequel,BLACK COUNTRY.GIVEAWAYS:THE YARD, now--June 14thBLACK COUNTRY June 12th--14thASK THE AGENT: Seth and Alex have graciously agreed to answer questions from Modern Good Reads members related to traditional publishing, an agent’s role in publishing, and all those myriad things we all want to know about working with agents and New York publishers.http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1364920-ask-an-agent-agent-reading-giveawaySeth Fishman’s bio: Seth Fishman (me) was born and raised in Midland, Texas (think Friday Night Lights) and received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England (think cold and rainy and millions of castles). His YA thriller, The Well's End, is the first in a series and the protagonist, Mia Kish, is roughly inspired by a hometown drama that (when I was young) really blew him away: (http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/...). When not writing, Seth is a literary agent at The Gernert Company (www.thegernertco.com), and thinks writing and agenting are the two very best jobs in the world.

Agent/Publications & Experience: I've been a literary agent for over eight years, beginning at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. (www.sll.com) and now, for the past three years, at The Gernert Company (www.thegernertco.com). My list is deliberately wide-reaching, as I'm fervently of the mind that good writing and strong stories can be found in any genre. For sake of ease, however, a few published examples in varying categories I rep:Literary Fiction: NYTimes Bestseller and Orange Prize winner Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife, Liz Moore's Heft, Alex Gilvarry's From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant Hugo winner Will McIntosh's Love Minus Eighty, Ted Kosmatka's Locus finalist The Games.Thriller: Alex Grecian's BestsellingThe Yard andThe Black Country,Ted Kosmatka'sProphet of Bones.

NonFiction: NY Times Bestseller Maria Konnikova's Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, BoingBoing Science Editor Maggie Koerth-Baker's Before The Lights Go Out.Graphic/comic/illustrated: #1 NYTimes Bestseller Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant, Matt Kish's Moby Dick In PicturesYoung Adult: Nora Price's Zoe Letting Go, Shawn Goodman's Something Like HopePicture Book: Matthew Olshan's The Mighty Lalouche (This is just out, his future books I rep).Forthcoming publications (in the next 3/4 months): The Thousand Names by Django Wexler, What The F Should I Drink by Zach Golden, and The Age of Ice by J.M. Sidorova.Seth Fishman’s debut novel: The Well's End, a YA thriller, due out from Putnam YA February 2014. COVER REVEAL June 11th 2013: http://io9.com/ Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Wells-End-Seth-Fishman/dp/0399159908/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370547143&sr=8-1&keywords=the+well%27s+endA childhood accident, a bizarre outbreak, and an impossible discovery… Mia Kish is afraid of the dark. And for good reason. When she was a toddler she fell deep into her backyard well only to be rescued to great fanfare and celebrity. In fact, she is small-town Fenton, Colorado’s walking claim to fame. Not like that helps her status at Westbrook Academy, the nearby uber-ritzy boarding school she attends. A townie is a townie. Being nationally ranked as a swimmer doesn’t matter a lick. But even the rarefied world of Westbrook is threated when emergency sirens start blaring and the school is put on lockdown, quarantined and surrounded by soldiers who seem to shoot first and ask questions later. Only when confronted by a frightening virus that ages its victims to death in a manner of hours does Mia realize she may only just be beginning to discover what makes Fenton special. The answer is behind the walls of the Cave, aka Fenton Electronics. Mia’s dad, the director of Fenton Electronics, has always been secretive about his work. But unless Mia is willing to let her classmates succumb to the strange illness, she and her friends have got to break quarantine, escape the school grounds, and outsmart armed soldiers to uncover the truth about where the virus comes from and what happened down that well. The answers they find just might be more impossible than the virus they are fleeing. Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6561855.Seth_Fishman Website: www.sethasfishman.com Twitter: @sethasfishman.com Tumblr: http://sethasfishman.tumblr.com/ Alex Grecian:http://alexgrecian.com/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/357573.Alex_Grecian▼JOIN SETH FISHMAN & ALEX GRECIAN June 12th through June 14th▼http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1364920-ask-an-agent-agent-reading-giveaway▼SUBMIT MANUSCRIPTS TO SETH FISHMAN TO WIN AN AGENT READING▼https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ppZhundtcvCaTkTsWEJOX_EdGZ8ihAdHs22qcNV0A_w/viewform▼Giveaway Rafflecopters below (Win Signed Copies)▼ Exclusively for MODERN GOOD READS members. If you are not a member, you must join MODERN GOOD READS to qualify.

Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only twelve detectives—known as “The Murder Squad”—to investigate countless murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own . . . one of the twelve . . .When Walter Day, the squad’s newest hire, is assigned the case of the murdered detective, he finds a strange ally in the Yard’s first forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Kingsley. Together they track the killer, who clearly is not finished with The Murder Squad . . . but why?

Filled with fascinating period detail, and real historical figures, this spectacular debut in a new series showcases the depravity of late Victorian London, the advent of criminology, and introduces a stunning new cast of characters sure to appeal to fans of The Sherlockian and The Alienist.